Stimulation techniques may be used to increase the recovery rate of hydrocarbons obtained from a subterranean formation. For example, some unconventional subterranean formations may be fractured to improve well productivity by placing or enhancing fractures running from the wellbore into the surrounding subterranean formation. These fractures may allow the hydrocarbons within the subterranean formation to flow more freely out of the subterranean formation through the creation of these additional flowpaths. Acidizing operations may be performed to improve productivity by using acid to dissolve material or pieces of the formation which restricts flow, or alternatively, to open or enhance new or existing flow paths in the fracture.
A variety of solid particulates may be used when performing these stimulation techniques. For example, diverting agents, proppant, microparticulates, solid acids, and chelants may all be used when stimulating a subterranean formation. Typically, the dispersal of these solid particulates may be performed by introducing an aqueous carrier fluid with the solid particulate into the desired fracture at a high pressure and/or rate. However, some of the solid particulates may not reach the desired area of the subterranean formation and may remain in the aqueous carrier fluid or settle out of the aqueous carrier fluid prematurely. Moreover, some of the solid particulates that do enter the fracture may undesirably flow back into the wellbore and not stay in the fracture as desired.
Dispersal of these solid particulates is an operation that may have very little operator control. Generally, a large amount of solid particulates are pumped into the fracture with the goal that enough of them will disperse evenly in the fracture to complete the desired operation. Problems may occur if too little of the solid particulates reach the desired area. For example, if too little proppant is placed in the fracture, the portions of the fracture without proppant may close and thereby lose conductivity. If this event occurs, said portion of the subterranean formation may need to be refractured. Refracturing may be expensive and time consuming. In other examples, acidizing may be used to enhance the flowpaths through a fracture. If not enough of the solid acid particulates reach the fracture, the formation walls of the fracture will not be adequately degraded, and the recovery rates may not be improved. If an insufficient amount of diverting agent is placed, uniform injection over a subject area may not be achieved, and the subsequent stimulation operation may be less successful.
The illustrated figures are only exemplary and are not intended to assert or imply any limitation with regard to the environment, architecture, design, or process in which different examples may be implemented.